Airlines are literally racing one another to restore service to the Florida airports impacted by Hurricane Michael.

On the Delta earnings call, CEO Ed Bastian declared, “We were the last carrier out of the Gulf Coast stations and we are the first carrier to return to these stations today.”

Of the four airports in the Florida Panhandle, three had restored commercial service by midday Thursday. Delta was first to arrive in both Pensacola and Tallahassee. But American was first to arrive in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, according to Flight Aware.

Meanwhile, the Panama City airport remained closed until further notice.

American’s Charlotte hub had 330 cancellations by early Thursday afternoon, according to Flight Aware, making it by far the most impacted airport. American cancelled 150 of its 678 Charlotte departures on Thursday. “The vast majority are on regional flights due to cross wind limitations,” said American spokesman Ross Feinstein.

Delta said Thursday afternoon, “Despite cancelling approximately 80 flights Wednesday and Thursday, pre-storm preparations, which included repositioning aircraft away from the storm as well as calling in agents from other airports, allowed Delta to be the last airline to fly in, and first to operate out of Pensacola (PNS) and Tallahassee (TLH).

“No disruption at the airline’s hub in Atlanta is expected Thursday,” the carrier said in a press release.

As for Destin/Fort Walton Beach, “ECP administration is currently assessing the damage from the impact of Hurricane Michael,” spokeswoman Katie Spillman said Thursday in a prepared statement. “The airport is operational however commercial fights are suspended until further notice.”

I began covering airlines during the Eastern strike. I was a reporter for six newspapers -- Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Toledo Blade and Aberdeen (Wash.) Daily World -- and for TheStreet. I also worked for pre-merger US Airways as staff wr...